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Tuesday, 7 October 2014

Solar energy: a great Kiwi innovation

Source: Calder Stewart Roofing

Since I was on the topic of the explosive growth of solar energy (and why it doesn't need to be subsidised to become everyday technology in our houses) I've chatted to a few people in the industry about it further. It turns out that our own Calder Stewart has created a roofing product called Solar Rib, which is a normal ribbed steel roofing panel that includes a Photo-Voltaic Laminate (PVL) panel in between its grooves.

PVL is certainly a better solution than fixed frame solar panels. From the technical specifications:

Thin film amorphous PV Solar Laminates are flexible solar modules that are bonded directly to the roof. No glass. No frames, no support structure. Using PV Laminates is not only better for your wallet, it is also better for the environment. It takes less energy and few materials to produce a PVL laminate than what would be required for a crystalline module of the same power, making it a more sustainable solution.